Arkansas' Food: Is It Cheese Dip?

Kansas City has barbecue, Louisiana has cajun and creole food, New England has lobster cuisine... but what delicacy is Arkansas known for? According to Little Rock lawyer and film maker Nick Rogers, it just might be cheese dip!

Rogers recently filmed a documentary on the popularity of cheese dip in the south, particularly here in Arkansas. Rogers' film is featured in the September issue of the Oxford American.

He traced the background and meaning of the dish to find out if it really could be the food of the state. To see the film, click on the link.

We put this theory to the test this morning, using our own taste buds to try out some cheese dip. But this isn't just any cheese dip. Chef Jason Godwin from Simply the Best Catering creates a cheese dip using only Arkansas grown produce.

Here are the ingredients Chef Godwin uses:

• 2 oz. butter
• 2 oz. flour
• 1 tbsp. minced garlic
• 1 tbsp. diced shallot
• 1 tbsp. diced hot pepper (jalapeno/serano)
• 1 tsp. fenugreek seed (optional)
• 1 tsp. mustard seed (optional)
• 2 cups milk (more if needed for consistency)
• 1 pound shredded cheese (your choice or a mix)
• 1 tbsp. cumin
• 1 tbsp. chili powder
• salt and pepper to taste